1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved connector for use in systems for collecting sap from trees, especially maple trees, and to a sap collection system incorporating the connector. More particularly, it relates to an improved connector for use in sealing a sap collection system and portions of the system after it has been disconnected from the trees from which it is utilized to gather sap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The collection of sap from maple trees for the production of maple syrup and sugar probably dates back to prehistoric times. Early colonists in New England learned the practice from the Indians, and it became an important activity in early spring, before other crops could be planted.
As traditionally practiced, the maple sap was collected in buckets hung beneath spouts or taps inserted in the maple tree trunks. The sap was then collected from the buckets and brought to a sugar house centrally located in a grove of maple trees for boiling to produce the syrup and sugar. As practiced in this manner, the production of maple syrup and sugar was a labor intensive operation, but it was performed at a time of the year not suited for many other farm tasks. Over the years, a variety of specialized hardware was developed for this task, including both sap spouts and specialized sap collection buckets, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 225,762; 455,784; 469,791; and 695,841. For many years, however, the basic techniques of maple syrup and sugar production remained essentially unchanged.
More recently, as increasing labor cots made the above hand gathering techniques more uneconomical, systems utilizing plastic tubing to connect the sap spouts in the trees directly to the sugar house or other central collection place were developed. Such systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,944,369 and 3,046,698, and may either be gravity fed or utilize pumps to move the sap to the central collection point. As described in those patents, it was contemplated that the spouts of such systems would be left in their boreholes from season to season to prevent bacterial action in the boreholes, thus allowing them to be used again. In practice, such reuse of the boreholes has not proved to be practical. Therefore, it is conventional practice to remove the spouts from the trees after each sap season so that the healing of the boreholes will take place. New boreholes are then drilled and spouts inserted in them in subsequent seasons. In order to reduce the amount of labor associated with disconnection and reinstallation of the plastic pipe sap collection systems, it is usual practice to hang the partially disassembled system from the trees in the maple grove. Because prior art sap collection systems have not been designed with this mode of use in mind, two significant problems have occurred.
Fist, because either a prying tool or a hammer must be used to remove prior art plastic spouts from the tree boreholes, a substantial amount of breakage occurs during such removal. Second, storage of the sap collection systems hanging on the trees has allowed contamination to enter the partially disassembled systems through openings in them. For example, mud wasps will often plug up the spouts if they are left open and hanging on the trees. Although this latter problem has been alleviated by providing separate plastic plugs for insertion into the openings, the necessity for a separate part adds inconvenience to the use of the system.
A further problem associated with the prior art plastic plugs arises when the system is cleaned by forcing water through it. The plastic plugs are blown out of the openings with even a small amount of water pressure. This makes the cleaning operation much more difficult.